title: Very small embryonic-like stem cells are present in adult murine organs: ImageStream-based morphological analysis and distribution studies.
abstract: Recently, we purified a population of CXCR4+/Oct-4+/SSEA-1+/Sca-1+/Lin(-)/CD45(-) very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) from adult murine bone marrow (BM). After using flow cytometry, ImageStream analysis, confocal microscopy, and real time RT-PCR, we report that similar cells could be also identified and isolated from several organs in adult mice. The highest total numbers of Oct-4+ VSELs were found in the brain, kidneys, muscles, pancreas, and BM. These observations support our hypothesis that a population of very primitive cells expressing germ line/epiblast markers (Oct-4, SSEA-1) is deposited early during embryogenesis in various organs and survives into adulthood. Further studies are needed to determine whether these cells, after being isolated from various adult human organs similarly to their murine BM-derived counterparts, are endowed with pluripotent stem cell properties.
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Biology Institute, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, USA. ekzuba01@louisville.edu
authors.forename: Ewa K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Zuba-Surma
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kucia
authors.forename: Wan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Izabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Klich
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lillard
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ratajczak
authors.forename: Mariusz Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Ratajczak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000067696:Ataxin-1; D000067528:Ataxins; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002469:Cell Separation; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C000593749:ATXN1 protein, human; D000067696:Ataxin-1; D000067528:Ataxins; C000593750:Atxn1 protein, mouse; D016256:Lewis X Antigen; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D050814:Octamer Transcription Factor-3; C494174:Pou5f1 protein, mouse; D012333:RNA, Messenger